Di Desa Bern, setelah upacara pelantikan berakhir tanpa masalah, tamu-tamu tertentu yang datang terlambat disambut di mansion.
Tamu rahasia itu, yang tidak diketahui warga desa, adalah Amria, putri kedua tidak resmi Kekaisaran Romal, yang biasanya disembunyikan di Istana Kerajaan bersama Pangeran Sperion. Dia didampingi pengawalnya dan teman-temannya, Yachiyo dan Fuuko, beserta satu orang lagi.
Alasan kunjungan Amria ke Desa Bern tertunda pada hari pelantikan adalah agar kemungkinan kehadirannya diketahui oleh para bangsawan dan pedagang yang hadir dapat diminimalkan.
Christina sudah diberitahu tentang identitas asli Amria, jadi dia tidak akan mengalami masalah menyambutnya, tapi Dran tidak hadir di antara orang-orang yang menyambutnya di sana.
Sambil menganggap itu sayang, Amria menyeruput teh herbalnya di ruang tamu yang dibawanya ke sana.
Cangkir teh porselin putih indah dengan desain mawar biru diisi cairan hijau muda hingga ke pinggirnya yang berwarna emas, dan teh itu memiliki aroma harum yang mengganggu hidung Amria sejak dituangkan dari teko.
Berkat perdagangan dengan Hutan Ente, Desa Bern menjadi salah satu tempat terkaya di Kerajaan Arkrest soal tanaman obat dan bunga. Aroma segar teh itu unggul bahkan dari daun teh terbaik yang pernah dia cicipi di istana, dan mengganggu hidungnya seolah angin segar ditiupkan lurus ke tenggorokannya dan sekujur tubuh.
「Enak sekali. Seolah angin musim semi menyapu sekujur tubuhku」
Saat Amria tanpa sadar mengungkapkan kesan jujurnya soal teh, Christina, yang duduk di hadapannya, tersenyum bahagia.
Christina, yang belum mampu menghadapi motif tersembunyi, pasti sangat senang mendengar Amria berkata itu.
「Senang rasanya. Ini teh yang diseduh dari tanaman obat asal Hutan Ente. Saat ini, ini salah satu sumber pendapatan utama wilayahku, jadi senang kalau cocok dengan selera Amria-sama」
Christina juga menyeruput teh herbalnya, sambil menatap Amria dengan senyum tipis.
Christina tidak ada saat pelarian dari kekaisaran, tapi Yachiyo, Selina, dan yang lain juga di sini, sehingga Amria tidak merasa gugup.
「Christina, panggil aku Amria saja. Saat ini aku hidup berkat kebaikan Pangeran Sperion.
Aku bukan orang yang layak disikapi formal oleh bangsawan kerajaan yang luar biasa sepertimu…」
「Seperti yang kudengar dari Dran dan yang lain, kamu orang yang rendah hati. Namun, kamu tamu Pangeran Sperion, dan oleh karena itu, tamu berharga Keluarga Kerajaan juga. Jadi, aku harus memperlakukanmu dengan cara yang pantas」
Meski begitu, bahu Christina tidak tegang, dan postur tubuhnya saat memegang cangkir teh menunjukkan dia rileks.
Kalau dia benar-benar bermaksud seperti yang diucapkannya, mustahil Christina bisa begitu santai di hadapan pewaris takhta kekaisaran.
Mengingat Christina bukan tipe yang berbohong untuk pujian murah sambil menyembunyikan perasaan aslinya, ada satu alasan perbedaan antara sikap dan kata-katanya.
Karena Selina dan yang lain bilang Amria pemalu dan polos soal dunia, Christina mungkin cuma ingin menggoda sedikit.
Sementara itu, Yachiyo dan Fuuko sangat asyik dengan camilan panggang yang disajikan berbarengan teh herbal, sampai tidak sadar dilema Amria soal cara menjawab Christina.
Seperti biasa, mereka tidak berguna dan canggung, dan ragu apakah mereka bisa membantu atau tidak.
Inilah mengapa mereka diam-diam dijuluki „bodoh tolol“, dan sepertinya mereka tidak akan pernah lepas dari julukan memalukan itu.
Yang melempar tali selamat ke Amria adalah orang yang duduk di samping Christina, Selina.
Saat ini, Christina adalah majikan sekaligus tuan Selina, jadi duduk di sampingnya seharusnya mustahil, tapi di ruang pribadi, mereka lupa soal status dan gelar.
「Fufu, Amria, tidak usah terlalu serius. Christina cuma menggoda, yang sebenarnya jarang.
Kalau itu yang kamu mau, kita tidak akan menolak. Kan, Christina?」
「Aku kelewatan sedikit. Cuma kamu seimut yang Dran dan Selina ceritakan, jadi pengen lihat wajah bingungmu. Amria-sama, maafkan ketidaksopanku」
Mendengar Christina menunduk sedikit, Amria buru-buru meletakkan cangkir teh dalam panik, dan memintanya mengangkat kepala.
Bahkan di istana, dia disambut hangat oleh pelayan dan pelayan wanita seolah dia dari keluarga kerajaan negara lain, tapi Amria sama sekali tidak biasa dilayani orang.
Dari tanggapannya, mudah dibayangkan bagaimana dia diperlakukan di istana tersembunyi di gunungan itu.
Mungkin kebanyakan orang yang merawatnya dulu tidak tahu identitas asli Amria, tapi kemungkinan besar tidak ada yang pernah melayaninya sepenuh hati.
「Angkat kepala, Christina. Kalau menunduk padaku, aku tidak tahu mau ngapain.
Kalau mau aku maafkan, seperti Selina atau Dramina, aku ingin jadi temanmu. Eh, itu tidak merepotkan, kan?」
Menjawab Amria yang pipinya memerah malu, Christina tersenyum lebar. Mungkin itu reaksi dari ketegangan asing saat pelantikan, tapi Christina tidak bisa tidak menyukai orang dengan kepribadian murni dan polos seperti Amria.
「Tentu tidak. Aku sendiri diberi kehormatan jadi baron, dan aku berjuang dengan tekanan berat di bahu.
Karena Amria-sama tiba-tiba tahu asal-usulmu dan bahwa kamu putri, mungkin ini tidak sopan, tapi aku bisa merasakannya. Akulah yang ingin jadi temanmu, kalau kamu izinkan」
「Nah, kalau begitu, panggil aku Amria, cuma Amria. Tidak ada di istana yang memanggilku begitu」
Mendengar kata Amria, yang jelas menunjukkan dia dibesarkan tanpa tahu apa-apa soal asal-usulnya, Christina tertawa kecil.
Ini perintah yang cukup absurd, tapi sekali lihat jelas Amria tidak sadar soal itu.
Mungkin ini ciri khas Amria, bahwa dia bisa menyampaikan emosinya lewat kata-kata atau pikiran, bahkan kalau terlalu jujur untuk diungkapkan.
「Pasti orang di istana tidak bisa memanggilmu begitu. Tapi selama yang hadir hanya orang yang tahu situasinya, aku akan memanggilmu Amria saja. Kan kita teman」
Sambil bilang itu, Christina mengedipkan mata nakal ke Amria, yang wajahnya mekar tersenyum, meski pipinya cukup merah.
「Oh! Terima kasih. Eh, seharusnya aku bilang thanks, dan aku minta tolong, Christina. Senang banget. Sejak ke sini, aku bisa banyak hal, kayak keluar dan belanja, tapi tidak bisa bikin teman.
Dan sekarang, bisa punya teman cantik kayak gini! Christina, kamu cantik seperti putri di dongeng」
Kalau begitu, Amria adalah model heroine kisah bangsawan terbuang, tapi Christina pikir tidak ada gunanya bilang itu, jadi dia menelan kata-katanya.
Mungkin sekarang, Amria bisa akrab dengan Putri Frau dan memperdalam persahabatan, atau mungkin mereka jadi musuh bebuyutan karena berebut Christina.
「Tidak terasa buruk, dipuji. Amria, mungkinkah saat cuma Yachiyo dan Fuuko, kamu merasa kesepian?」
Setelah memutuskan sesuatu, Christina selalu cepat beradaptasi. Dia segera mengubah sikap dan kata-katanya untuk memperlakukan Amria sebagai teman.
「Berkat mereka berdua, aku benar-benar terselamatkan, tapi Hachi dan Fuuko juga bilang lebih baik punya banyak teman. Tapi pas aku bilang ke Pangeran Sperion, dia kelihatan menyesal dan minta maaf, jadi jadi masalah」
「Cara dia sendiri, Dia merasa berhutang padamu atas situasi sekarang.
Kalau ada hal buruk menimpamu, Dran mungkin santai saja menyerbu istana kerajaan, jadi aku tenang tahu Dia akan merawatmu dengan baik」
Christina tahu Dran sendiri mungkin tidak akan menyerbu istana kerajaan, tapi dia tahu calon suaminya tidak akan punya masalah menghancurkan istana dengan tubuh klon naganya untuk membawa Amria, Yachiyo, dan Fuuko pergi dari sana jika harus.
Dia meminum sisa teh herbal di cangkirnya, sambil bergumam bahwa Dran mungkin akan ambil pendekatan lebih damai, mengingat dia sayang pada Pangeran Sperion.
「Dia sangat baik padaku. Tentu, aku tahu Dran sangat khawatir padaku, tapi dia tidak usah sampai segitu」
Amria tersenyum simpul, seperti anak yang khawatir pada orang tua terlalu pelindung.
Sudah kenal Dran lebih lama dari Amria, dan punya hubungan lebih dalam dan tebal dengannya, Christina hanya bisa setuju sepenuhnya, dan mereka berdua mengangguk serempak.
Bukan cuma Amria, tapi Selina dan Christina tahu langsung bahwa Dran jadi terlalu pelindung pada seseorang di kondisi tertentu.
「Kalau Dran sudah menerima seseorang ke hatinya, tingkat dia memanjakan dan merawat mereka meluas sangat.
Ini karena dia punya kemampuannya, dan tidak ada batas apa yang bisa dilakukannya. Baik buruk, akhirnya bercampur dan jadi tidak terbedakan, atau lebih tepat, sifat itu gabungan keuntungan dan kerugian」
「Semua manusia, bukan cuma Dran, punya sisi itu, tapi kasus Dran lebih ekstrem, sebagai kekuatan dan kelemahan」
Kalau Dran sendiri ada di sana, dia tidak akan bisa menjawab kata-kata kekasihnya sama sekali, dan akan benar-benar termangu. Dia sadar cacatnya sendiri, yang dia tahu sulit diperbaiki.
Amria memiringkan kepala penasaran seolah Christina dan Selina bicara soal hal yang hanya mereka berdua yang mengerti, tapi sepertinya dia tidak merasa perlu menanyakan.
In Bern Village, after the inauguration ceremony had finished without any problems, certain guests who had arrived late were being welcomed at the mansion.
The secret guest, unknown to the villagers, is Amria, the unofficial second princess of the Romal Empire, who is usually hidden in the Royal Palace with Prince Sperion. She is accompanied by her guards and her friends, Yachiyo and Fuuko, together with one other person.
The reason why Amria’s visit to Bern Village was delayed on the day of the inauguration was so that the possibility of her presence being found out by the nobles and merchants in attendance would be reduced.
Christina had already been told about Amria’s true identity, so she would have no problem in welcoming her, but Dran was not present among the people there to welcome her.
While thinking that that was unfortunate, Amria sipped her herbal tea in the reception room that she had been led to.
The beautiful white porcelain teacup with a design of blue roses was filled with a light green liquid up to its golden brim, and the tea has a wonderful aroma that tickled Amria’s nose from the moment it was poured from the teapot.
Due to trade with Ente Forest, Bern Village has become one of the richest places in the Arkrest Kingdom in terms of herbs and flowers. The refreshing aroma of the tea was superior even to the finest tea leaves that she had tasted in the castle, and it tickled her nose as if blowing a refreshing breeze straight down her throat and throughout her body.
「This tastes lovely. It’s as if a spring breeze is sweeping through my body」
When Amria unconsciously voiced her honest impression of the tea, Christina, who was sitting across from her, smiled happily.
Christina, who was not yet capable of dealing with hidden ulterior motives, must have been really happy to hear Amria say that.
「I’m glad. It’s a tea that was brewed from herbs that originated from Ente Forest. Right now, it’s one of the major sources of revenue for my territory, so I’m glad that you find it to your liking, Amria-sama」
Christina also took a sip of the herbal tea, as she looked at Amria with a light smile.
Christina hadn’t been there for the escape from the empire, but Yachiyo, Selina and the others were also here, which kept Amria from feeling nervous.
「Christina, please just call me Amria. Right now, I am only alive thanks to Prince Sperion’s benevolence.
I’m not someone a wonderful noble of the kingdom such as yourself needs to be so formal with…」
「Just as I heard from Dran and the others, you are a humble person. However, you are Prince Sperion’s guest, and therefore, a precious guest of the Royal Family as well. So, I must treat you in an appropriate manner」
Despite what she was saying, there was no tension in Christina’s shoulders, and her posture as she held the teacup in her hand showed that she was relaxed.
If she really meant what she had said, it was doubtful that Christina would be able to be so relaxed in front of the heir to the imperial throne.
Considering the fact that Christina is not the type of person to speak lies for simple flattery while concealing her true thoughts, there is one reason for the discrepancy between her attitude and her words.
Since Selina and the others had told her Amria was shy and naive about the world, Christina was probably trying to tease her a little bit.
Meanwhile, Yachiyo and Fuuko were so absorbed in the baked snacks that were served together with the herbal tea, they didn’t notice Amria’s dilemma with how to respond to Christina.
As usual, they were useless and clumsy, and it was unsure whether they would be able to help or not.
This is why they were secretly being called “useless klutzes,” and it seems unlikely that they’ll ever be able to escape from this shameful nickname.
The one who threw a lifeline to Amria was the one sitting next to Christina, Selina.
As of now, Christina was both Selina’s employer and her lord, so sitting next to her should have been out of the question, but in private spaces, they’ve forgotten about things like status and titles.
「Fufu, Amria, there’s no need to think about it so seriously. Christina is just teasing you, which is actually rare.
If it’s something that you want, then we won’t do something like refuse you. Right, Christina?」
「I overdid it a bit. It’s just that you were as cute as Dran and Selina told me you’d be, so it made me want to see your troubled face. Amria-sama, please forgive my rudeness」
In response to Christina bowing her head slightly, Amria hurriedly put down her teacup in a panic, and begged her to raise her head.
Even at the castle, she is warmly welcomed by the servants and maids as if she is from the royal family of another country, but Amria is not at all used to being waited upon by someone.
From her response, it was easy to imagine how she must have been treated in that hidden castle in the mountains.
Maybe most of the people who had taken care of her back then hadn’t known Amria’s true identity, but probably none of them had ever served her wholeheartedly.
「Please raise your head, Christina. If you bow to me, I don’t know what to do.
If you want me to forgive you, then just like Selina or Dramina, I want to be your friend. Um, that wouldn’t be too much trouble, right?」
In response to Amria, whose cheeks were getting red from embarrassment, Christina smiled brightly. Perhaps it was recoil from having been exposed to unfamiliar nervousness during the inauguration, but Christina couldn’t help but like people with pure and innocent personalities like Amria.
「Of course not. I, myself, was given the honor of being a baron, and I am fighting a heavy pressure weighing down on my shoulders.
Since Amria-sama suddenly found out about your own origins and that you were a princess, it may be presumptuous of me, but I can relate. I’m the one who wishes to become your friend, if you’ll allow me」
「Well, in that case, call me Amria, just Amria. No one in the castle will call me that」
At Amria’s words, which clearly showed that she had been raised without knowing anything about her origins, Christina gave a small laugh.
It was quite an absurd order, but it was easy to tell from a single glance that Amria was not aware of that.
It may be a special characteristic of Amria’s, that she can convey her emotions through her words or thoughts, even if they are too honest to be put into words.
「I’m sure the people in the castle definitely wouldn’t be able to call you that. But as long as the only people who are present are ones who know the situation, I will call you by just Amria. We’re friends, after all」
Having said that, Christina winked mischievously at Amria, whose face bloomed into a smile, although her cheeks became quite red.
「Oh! Thank you. No, I guess I should say thanks, and I’m in your care, Christina. I’m glad. Since I got here, I’ve been able to do a lot more things, like going outside and shopping, but I haven’t been able to make any friends.
And now, to think I have such a beautiful friend! Christina, you’re as pretty as a princess in a fairy tale」
If that’s the case, then Amria is a model heroine of an exiled noble’s tale, but Christina thought there was no use in telling her that, so she swallowed her words.
Perhaps now, Amria would be able to hit it off with Princess Frau and deepen their friendship, or perhaps they would end up becoming mortal enemies as they fight over Christina.
「It doesn’t feel bad, being complimented. Amria, could it be that when it’s just Yachiyo and Fuuko, you feel lonely?」
Once she has decided on something, Christina is always quick to adapt. She immediately changed her attitude and words to treat Amria as a friend.
「Thanks to the two of them, I was really saved, but even Hachi and Fuuko say that it’s better to have a lot of friends. But when I mentioned it to Prince Sperion, he looked sorry and he apologized to me, so it’s a problem」
「In his own way, His Highness feels indebted to you for the current situation.
If something bad ever happens to you, Dran might nonchalantly go storming into the royal castle, so I can rest easy knowing that His Highness will take good care of you」
Christina knew that Dran himself probably wouldn’t storm the royal castle, but she knew that her future husband would have no problems crashing the castle with his dragon clone body to take Amria, Yachiyo, and Fuuko away from there if he had to.
She drank the rest of the herbal tea remaining in her tea cup, muttering to herself at the same time that Dran might take a more peaceful approach, considering that he is fond of Prince Sperion.
「His Highness is very kind to me. Of course, I know Dran has been very concerned about me, but he doesn’t have to go that far」
Amria gave a troubled smile, like a child worrying about an overprotective parent.
Having known Dran for longer than Amria, and having a deeper and thicker relationship with him than her, Christina could only agree with her completely, and they both nodded in unison.
Not just Amria, but both Selina and Christina knew firsthand that Dran would become overprotective of someone under the right circumstances.
「Once Dran has accepted someone into his heart, the extent to which he spoils and takes care of them expands greatly.
This is because he has the ability to do so, and there is no limit to what he can do. Whether that is good or bad, it ends up blending together and becoming indistinguishable, or rather, that trait of his combines to be both an advantage and a disadvantage」
「All human beings, not just Dran, have that side to them, but in Dran’s case, it’s just more extreme, as both a strength and a weakness」
If Dran himself had been present, he wouldn’t have been able to respond to his lovers’ words at all, and he would have been completely speechless. He was aware of his own flaws, which he knew would be difficult to correct.
Amria tilted her head curiously as it felt like Christina and Selina were talking about something that only they could understand, but it seems she didn’t feel the need to question them.
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!